Super bikes to get ‘affordable’

Sumit Chaturvedi, ET NowDec 29, 2009, 12.00am IST

The number of super premium bikes on Indian roads is set to rise faster early next year with Suzuki Motorcycle riding in a sub-Rs 8 lakh moto-monster and Harley Davidson getting bankers to finance its vehicles.

At present, although high performance bikes of global majors including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati and Kawasaki are available in the market, they are as expensive as premium sedans at Rs 10-15 lakh. Now, Suzuki is planning to launch Gladius—a 645 cc, 2-cylinder street bike with sporty styling—with a price tag close to Rs 7 lakh.

"Suzuki is adding three more models to its super bike segment and one of them will be the Gladius," said an industry insider with direct knowledge of the company's product strategy. The company is planning to sell the Gladius, which retails at $6,899 in the US, for Rs 7-8 lakh, the person added. This will make it the cheapest bike in the 500 cc and above engine capacity segment.

If Suzuki is bringing in more affordable products such as the Gladius, powered by an impressive V-twin engine, Harley Davidson, which will officially launch its range for the Indian market on January 5, is tying up with banks for easier financing options for its potential customers.

"Harley Davidson is going to partner with banks to provide financing on its cult bikes," said a person familiar with the company's product strategy.

Harley plans to offer its cult products like Touring, Dyna, Sportster, Softail and VRSC in India.

It is close to signing a deal with a leading bank to cover its entire range in India — that will include Touring, Dyna, Sportster, Softail and VRSC — at interest rate similar to car loans. India's 500-600 units annual high performance super bike market is currently shared between Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), Suzuki Motorcycle and India Yamaha, which sell motorcycles ranging from 696 cc to 1670 cc for Rs 10 lakh to Rs 45 lakh. Entry of the likes of Harley Davidson and Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati will rev up the market with existing players too expanding their product portfolio.

Honda will launch its 1200 cc VFR here soon after its debut in America and Europe in 2010, while Yamaha recently launched the latest model of YZF-R1 for Rs 12.5 lakh with an announcement to roll out more high-end products in the Indian market.